Locavore: Hummus and tapenade from 3 Chicks and a P

Spread it On

By Wendy Page/Life@Home

To say 3 Chicks and a P went from zero to 60 in no time flat is an understatement. Based on timing, talent, and co-owner Jennifer Rittner-Paniccia’s ability to jump at every opportunity put in her path — and to run with it — in 18 months, the hummus, tapenade and salsa company has grown from an idea to an award-winning business featured in numerous local farmers markets, co-ops and specialty stores.

It began when Rittner-Paniccia attended a friend’s hummus-and-wine-themed holiday party. The following year, she hosted her own party, making the hummus herself. The positive feedback from her friends, mixed with the realization that no hummus was sold at the Schenectady Green Market — “We’re big supporters of farmers markets,” Rittner-Paniccia says of herself and her husband/co-owner, Matthew Paniccia — set the seeds. Matthew getting laid off from his job turned into their opportunity to “stop talking about it and just do it,” Rittner-Paniccia says. “I filed the DBA in May 2011, took the summer to work on recipes, got licensing, and got my logo. We took our tax return and invested in the business.”

The business, 3 Chicks and a P (more on the name later) boasts fresh, homemade hummus, tapenades and salsas, all sold in local venues (see sidebar). Their packaging comes from local suppliers. They even squeeze their own lemons and limes.

After market research indicated that sesame is one of the most common food allergies, especially in children, the Paniccias decided to make their products tahini-free. (Tahini, a sesame seed paste, is a common hummus ingredient.) “We did this without sacrificing flavor or texture,” Rittner-Paniccia says.

They use locally-grown herbs whenever possible (when not in season locally, they still won’t use dried herbs), low-sodium garbanzo beans, and freshly peeled garlic. They’d love to go organic, but it’s not presently cost-effective. The hummus is naturally vegan and gluten-free.

Flavors of the week can include sun-dried tomato and roasted pine nuts, jalapeño and cilantro, and garlic and chives.

In addition to hummus, the company also sells a three-olive tapenade and an artichoke tapenade. “I don’t add oil to them,” Rittner-Paniccia says. “I try to keep everything fresh, and not to have to add extra oils and salts. Ours is a little more … it’s not as oily as you’d buy in a jar in the store.” The salsas — mango black bean, pineapple habanero, and peach black bean — are produced seasonally so they can be made from local produce.

The Paniccias achieved their initial goal — acceptance into the Schenectady Farmers Market —in November 2011, just in time for the winter market. Acceptance to the Honest Weight Food Co-op followed one month later. “That gave us some credibility,” says Rittner-Paniccia. “That got us into the Meat House.”

The next step found Rittner-Paniccia at the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur Boot Camp, where she learned from her mentor, Janet Tanguay, about the camp’s business-plan competition. Not having a business plan didn’t stop her; Rittner-Paniccia wrote one and won the competition, and the $1,000 prize.

Tanguay next informed her of The All Over Albany/Sunmark Startup contest, which 3 Chicks also won, in August 2012. The $1,500 winnings from that is going toward nutritional labeling for their products, timed to introduce new flavors Indian Spice and Fire Dancer (named after the Dave Matthews song), which contains three different hot peppers “that kicks up the flavor,” Rittner-Paniccia says. “It’s the hottest one yet. It satisfies hotness but won’t burn your tongue off.”

The duo introduced pumpkin hummus for fall, and a cranberry/sweet potato for the holidays. “We’ll keep introducing new ones on a regular basis and see what works,” she says.

So what’s up with the name? “It represents us as a family,” Rittner-Paniccia says, crediting Matthew as the mastermind behind it. They have two daughters — hence the “three chicks.” Their family name, from Matthew, begins with P. Plus, there’s the obvious play on words, since chick peas are the main ingredient in hummus.

Cooking is practically in Rittner-Paniccia’s genes. “I grew up in a house that constantly smelled like meatballs and lemon meringue pie. I would wake up at my grandparents’ on weekends and the whole house smelled from cooking. We’d have our house filled with family for breakfast and dinner.”

3 Chicks’ inspiration can be summed up as “food, family and fun,” Rittner-Paniccia says. The company’s tagline sums it up: “From our family to yours. Share it, spread it, love it!”

While the plan called for Matthew to run the business, a position surfaced that he couldn’t pass up — both Paniccias have full-time jobs — so they changed their plan. They use the kitchen at the Rotterdam Boys and Girls Club, in what Rittner-Paniccia calls “a great partnership.” (One of the company names considered? “Rotter Damn Good Hummus!”)

Thursday evenings, “we whip out batches for our orders. Then we clean everything up, go home, and do it all again the next week.” Because they don’t use preservatives, they need to process as close to the weekend as possible so the products are freshest for their deliveries, farmers markets and festivals.

While the business is a nice supplement to their income, “the goal is to have something for my girls’ future, and for them to run the business someday,” says Rittner-Paniccia. They’re looking to hire staff who can work the farmers markets, as they’d like to be in more markets, and ultimately to have larger distribution, such as supermarkets. Wholesale is a possibility, branching out to local cafes.

Rittner-Paniccia sums up their philosophy: “One step at a time. When you love what you’re doing, that makes it worth it. The farmers markets don’t feel like work. The social aspect with our customers and the other vendors makes it fun.” When she stops to think about all she’s said, Rittner-Paniccia takes a rare moment. “I can’t believe everything we’ve done within a year. It’s been great.”

Hummus is more than just dip…

Hummus is high in protein and fiber, incorporating fresh juices and herbs. Here are some other suggestions from Rittner-Paniccia for serving hummus besides as a dip or with crackers.